Three Russian sisters who stabbed abusive father to death face murder charge

Public opinion is divided in Russia as to whether the sisters should face murder charges.

Russia's Investigative Committee has charged three sisters who stabbed their father to death. The horrific crime happened in July 2018 when sisters Krestina, Angelina and Maria Khachaturyan murdered their abusive father Mikhail. The case highlights the country's record on domestic violence the committee said.

(Representational picture)Pixabay

The investigators said the sister had been suffering years of physical and sexual abuse. They were in their late teens when the incident took place. This case has been seen as a high-profile one because of its sensitivity and importance. One half of the Russian society sees it as a case of self-defence, while the other called it plain murder. The investigations said that the girls worked as a group and stabbed their father and used a hammer to cause fatal injuries.

If convicted, the sisters could face up to 20 years in jail

According to a report by the Moscow Times, the Investigative Committee said the sisters had been acting as a "group of persons by prior conspiracy" and had "an acute personal hostility" to their father when they killed him. The committee also said that the elder sisters were of sound mind when the murder was committed and they would be charged with murder while the youngest sister would be sent to mandatory psychiatric care.

The lawyers and activists involved in the case say that the teenagers took the action because they were not able to receive any protection from the law. The argument also said that their self-defense comes from a situation in the country where there are no separate laws for domestic abuse and its victims.

Mari Davtyan, a lawyer for Angelina, told AFP the case should not go to trial because the sisters "used reasonable force in self-defense". Despite the campaign for their lives, the probability of the conviction is high. The sisters are trying for a jury trial. Alexie Lipster, a lawyer for Krestina, told AFP that if investigators decide something it would simply be a matter of time before the sentence is given.

Russia is one of the countries that haven't moved ahead in stopping domestic violence. The sisters are being held separately.